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Tokyo priest offered advice to stem phone fraud cases

Kanshun Chodo
Kanshun Chodo this week offered advice over the telephone on how to not get swindled in a remittance frauds (TV Asahi)

TOKYO (TR) – With the number of fraud cases carried out over the telephone on the rise, Tokyo Metropolitan Police this week opened a hotline staffed by a Buddhist priest who offered advice to callers on how to not get swindled, reports TV Asahi (July 20).

On Wednesday, Kanshun Chodo, a priest at Jindai-ji Temple in Chofu City, took calls between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m on a hotline set up by the Chofu Police Station.

Known as ore ore sagi, or “it’s me” fraud, the scams typically involve a person calling a victim and impersonating a relative while asking for money due to a difficulty, perhaps related to work. The fraudsters usually target elderly persons.

Cases on the rise

Within the jurisdiction of the Chofu Police Station, including Chofu and Komae cities, there were 58 such cases reported with damage totaling 130 million yen. So far this year, the figure has already reached 52.